It may be noted that there is a system in place which now allows you to verify ITR by an EVC or electronic verification code. What this essentially means is a customer will no longer have to break his/her back over verifying return by sending physical ITR. For first-timers who know little about the subject, EVC is a 10-digit alphanumeric code, issued against a unique PAN card.

One of the most important parts of filing income tax return filing is actually verifying ITR. While the process was possible using the physical ITR-V form or digital signatures in the past, the government has now introduced a slew of methods that could be utilised by individuals to complete the process. With several digital advances over the years, there are many ways that individuals can use to monitor income tax returns.

It may be noted that there is a system in place which now allows you to verify ITR by an EVC or electronic verification code. What this essentially means is a customer will no longer have to break his/her back over verifying return by sending physical ITR. For first-timers who know little about the subject, EVC is a 10-digit alphanumeric code, issued against a unique PAN card. It may be noted that one EVC code can only be used to validate a single return. So when you need to revise your return, there is a need to generate another EVC. The code can be easily obtained through a number of steps.

You can either opt for EVC through net banking but for the doing so, your bank needs to be authorized by the IT department for providing direct access to the e-filing government website and it is mandatory that your PAN is validated using KYC. Because it involves net banking, the individual needs to know his/her credentials to proceed to the next step. Once you get redirected to the e-filing website of the government (www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in), you will be able to generate an EVC. Once generated, the EVC will be sent to your registered mobile number.

Secondly, an individual can also verify return using Aadhaar-based OTP. While the process has to be completed at the government's e-filing website. This process is simpler than net banking, provided you have an Aadhaar card. You need to link the unique identity number to PAN. After the authentication process is complete, then individuals will be able to receive an OTP on their registered mobile number and it can be used to verify tax returns. However, the OTP is only valid for a maximum of 10 minutes.

Thirdly, there are certain banks that are registered with the income tax department to enable the ‘EVC though ATM’ facility. Individuals should note that they can use an ATM to generate EVC by logging into the linked bank account and clicking on the option ‘Generate EVC for income tax return filing). Subsequently, the bank would request the IT department's website to send an EVC to the requestor’s registered mobile number. This can be used to verify your tax return; this comes in handy when all other options are not working properly.

You can always go for the legacy options such as the Physical ITR V if all other options mentioned above fail but that is very unlikely.